this world.

so...i am being deeply challenged in the beth moore daniel Bible study i am partaking in. i heard this song on the radio yesterday, and started singing, (this in itself is scary...i ~cannot~ carry a tune gracefully, but it didn't much matter, as it was just campbell, karolina, and calli and myself,  :) ) and getting teary...

how we are in the midst of our own Babylon, right here in america, can be overwhelming...and  how am i being Jesus in it, AT ALL? hmmmm. by that i mean, she talks about how over-indulgent we are here in america. we have it all. if you drive A car, then you are considered one of the richest people IN THE WORLD. we have more shoes, sweaters, jeans...more choices of coffee than some people have in food...for pete's sake.

and our discussion in small group last night was interesting too. i did not win. i lost. but still don't agree with the winners take. :) we are studying nehamiah.

it was thrown out there that this man (neighbor of mine, no names, though :) )would take it upon himself to shoot someone who was willing to harm his wife and children. he was insistent that he believes God has given him that duty, and whatever it takes to get that done, is okay.
 not only was that statement surprising to me, from someone who grew up in a very conservative household, but didn't sit well with me either. we talked about praying in that instance, and while he agreed that God could intervene, that he probably would not wait for any intervention...like an answer to his prayers.  then i said, that that person he was shooting, yeah, made a really bad choice, but that that is someone's son...he just disrupted someone else's family system, by the choice he made. well, that didn't matter to him, so much. he wasn't even sure he would feel bad...initially anyway. well, then i threw out there that God allows really bad things to happen in life, and well, sometimes he uses those really bad things to draw others to himself. uses a really horrible "thing" he allowed to happen for something beautiful.  and well. the reality is, that sometimes really bad things happen to really good people, and we will never know or maybe even see, the "reason" God "allowed" it to happen, and that is a very, very painful thing to many who have gone thru tragic events in life. it felt like this guy heard what i, or then, we, were saying, but was so set in his thinking, that that was that. that gets frustrating, you know? and i know it's only my job to keep friends accountable, it's ultimately God's job to get thru to him, but, it was an interesting night. i did finally leave the room when they started going back and forth with the old testament, vs. the new testament, because i was getting frustrated. :)

 all that to say, i don't think i could ever shoot someone...he than brought up our policemen, etc., and i guess it's really gray for me. i am thankful for all of our service people who's job it is to protect me and my family, and i am thankful for them, just rejoicing it's not my job, or my husband's. :)

it does seem to be really trendy? right now to be wearing a gun...down this way anyway. that also scares me a bit. surprise. surprise. i don't know if it's the threat of our government taking "our gun rights" away, or just this God given
"responsibility" to protect their families, well, and anyone else who might need protection, i guess? it makes me uncomfortable, to say the least, which i think is interesting, because aren't they wearing guns to make me feel "more" protected? i don't know. anyway...thanks for listening to me ramble on about my thoughts. :) do love that you listen to me ramble. :)
anyway, rock out to the song. i need to jump in the shower. will post more later. my sister and i and partial kid loads, :), are heading to the philly zoo today.

update: zoo was fun. however, as we were driving home, my 3 year old neice, reese, started crying in the back seat.  when asked what was the matter, she tearfully told us that she didn't want to go to the zoo, she just wanted to go to campbell's house to play. meg and i looked at each other, and chuckled...well...if nothing else, the new mommies got a workout, and had fun being together, and talking a lot...now...i am looking into free aquarium tickets. :) anyone in?

homecoming weekend at octorara. made it to the homecoming parade last night, and will make an appearance this morning sometime, although missing the alumni hockey game this morning. :( oh. to be in shape. someday. just not this day. :) and then will freeze my hiney off at kaden's baseball game, while my husband has an ice hockey game of his own this afternoon. happy weekend.